Psychological Benefits:

If you have any questions about hippotherapy, please call or email to set up your free consultation.

Therapeutic Riding

Therapeutic riding is interaction with and control of a horse or pony that builds strength while improving balance, coordination, confidence and self-esteem

Focus: Riding and controlling the horse independently for sport, recreation and education

Treatment / Physical Benefits

Follow directions, verbal, tactile and visual cues

Safety/environmental awareness

Motor planning and sequencing

Coordination and balance in accordance with riding

Communicating with the horse

Cognitive planning and pre-planning

Orientation to sitting on center of horse

Self-esteem building

Leisure awareness (skill building)

Emotional and behavioral issues

Endurance and mobility

Muscle stretching and strengthening

Psychological Benefits

Improves self-esteem, confidence and motivation

Increases attention span

Has the positive effect of human animal bonding

If you have any questions about therapeutic riding, please call or email to set up your free consultation.

Horsemanship Experiences at Camp

True Strides provides opportunities for individuals of all abilities to experience exceptional equine-assisted activities by facilitating the Horsing Around camp programs and special respite programming.

To see our complete listing of camp sessions, including the Horsing Around sessions, please visit our camp page. If you have questions about a Horsing Around session, you can contact our registration team at 952.852.0101 or via email.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering at True Strides has many different faces. One could be a side walker, horse leader, tack cleaner, stall cleaner or horse groomer or our critical game player. These positions will depend upon your comfort level, experience and desire to learn, and we will train you and make sure the position fits you!

Our riding lessons rely heavily on volunteer support and thus we ask volunteers to commit to at least two 3-hour sessions per month for three months or more. For Summer lessons, preference will be given to volunteers who can commit to one session per week June – August.

Volunteers are required to be at least 16 years of age and attend an annual in-person training at Camp Courage in Maple Lake, MN. Our next training date is May 31, 2015 from 2-4pm: Click here to sign up!

Complete an application form and a member of the Volunteer Services Department will contact you via phone to discuss the opportunity.